基于选择性激光烧结技术的雷达样件快速制造

针对雷达新产品需快速加工出物理样件的研制需求,选择性激光烧结技术作为一种代表性的增材制造技术提供了一条新路径。文中首先结合雷达产品的几类典型需求,分析了选择性激光烧结技术的具体应用情况,包括样件工艺过程分析、直接制造非金属验证件和间接制造金属功能验证件,应用结果表明在缩短样件研制周期方面效果显著。最后,为进一步推动该技术在雷达产品中的应用,提出了当前制约其应用的主要问题及发展方向。     

选择性激光烧结间接成型金属件及其在机械工业中的应用

快速成型的重要发展方向是快速制造。在各种利用快速成型制造金属功能件的方法中，选择性激光烧结间接法制造金属件是已商业化并在模具制造中广泛应用的方法。介绍了间接法的原理、所使用的覆膜金属粉末材料、成型工艺和后处理工艺，总结了该方法的应用现状。     

Direct Selective Laser Sintering of Hard Metal Powders: Experimental Study and Simulation

Direct selective laser sintering (SLS) technology can be used to produce 3D hard metal functional parts from commercial available powders. Unlike conventional sintering, it does not require dedicated tools, such as dies. Hence, total production time and cost can be reduced. The large shape freedom offered by such a process makes the use of, for example, sintered carbides components viable in domains where they were not applied before. Successful results have been obtained in the production of sintered carbide or hard metal parts through SLS. The investigation focuses on tungsten carbide–cobalt (WC-Co) powder mixture. This material is characterised by its high mechanical properties and its high wear resistance and is widely used in the field of cutting tools. This paper is devoted to the experimental study and the simulation of direct selective laser sintering of WC-Co hard metal powders.     

激光能量密度对金属粉末直接激光烧结球化的影响

在金属粉末直接激光烧结成形时,球化效应是一个非常不利的因素。此次采用球化效应较为明显的316L不锈钢粉末进行烧结实验,分析了球化效应产生的原因,对实验中产生的规律性现象进行了解释,并着重讨论了工艺参数中的扫描速率对表面球化的影响。实验表明,当扫描速率使得激光能量密度达到合适值时,可明显降低球化效应产生的程度。     

Development and application of copper–nickel zirconium diboride as EDM electrodes manufactured by selective laser sintering

The production of electrical discharge machining (EDM) electrodes by conventional machining processes can account for over 50 % of the total EDM process costs. The emerging additive manufacturing (AM) technologies provide the possibility of direct fabrication of EDM electrodes. Selective laser sintering (SLS) is an alternative AM technique because it has the possibility to reduce the tool-room lead time and total EDM costs. The main difficulty of manufacturing an EDM electrode using SLS is the selection of an appropriate material. This work investigated the direct production of EDM electrodes by means of the SLS using a newly developed non-conventional metal–matrix composite material composed of a metallic matrix (CuNi) and an advanced ceramic (ZrB₂). The influence of important SLS parameters and material content on the densification behavior and porosity of the electrodes was investigated. EDM experiments were conducted to observe the electrodes behavior and performance. It was found that the ZrB₂-CuNi electrodes could be successfully manufactured by SLS. Interlayer bonding and porosity are directly influenced by the layer thickness. Smaller layer thicknesses improved bonding between layers and decreased the porosity of the parts. The laser scan speed has a significant effect on the densification behavior. The scan line spacing affects the pore structure by means of overlapping. The surface morphology of the samples was not affected by varying the scan line spacing. The ZrB₂-CuNi electrodes presented a much superior performance than SLS copper powder electrodes, but inferior to solid copper electrodes.     

316不锈钢粉末直接激光烧结的球化效应

采用直接金属激光烧结的方法,对316不锈钢粉末进行了一系列激光烧结实验。实验发现,由于液相粘度较高、表面张力大以及熔体材料不浸润固相颗粒和基板等因素的影响,导致烧结过程中出现球化现象。球化的出现,一方面导致形成球形的液滴表面和不连续的烧结线,妨碍下一粉末层的铺放,不利于烧结的顺利进行,严重时还将会导致无法烧结成形;另一方面也使得烧结层留有大量孔隙,强度很低,成形质量不高。分析了316不锈钢粉末球化效应产生的原因,讨论了工艺参数对316不锈钢金属粉末烧结成形的影响。     

基于零件切片的选择性激光烧结预热温度控制方法

选择性激光烧结(Selective laser sintering,SLS)系统是通过加支撑或采用人工调节预热温度的方法来减少成形件的翘曲变形,它劳动强度大、SLS材料浪费多、成形效率低,且预热温度难以精确控制。基于以上情况,提出一种新的控制方法,使预热温度能随零件断面几何形状的变化而自动调节。以华中科技大学开发的SLS设备为研究对象,验证这种新型控制方法的可行性。试验结果和实际应用表明:与原有控制方式比较,根据文中所提出的方法成形的零件表面质量、尺寸精度和形状精度等都有较大幅度改善,并且真正实现了SLS成形过程的自动化。     

碳化硅零件的激光选区烧结及反应烧结工艺

为了获得高密度、高性能、复杂结构的碳化硅陶瓷件,提出采用机械混合法制备含有黏结剂和乌洛托品固化剂的碳化硅复合粉体,对复合粉体进行激光选区烧结（SLS）形成陶瓷素坯,并对素坯进行气氛烧结和渗硅处理,使其与基体发生反应烧结,最终形成复杂陶瓷异形件。实验证明：若激光功率为8.0 W、扫描速率为2 000 mm/s、扫描间距为0.1 mm、单层厚度为0.15 mm,获得的 SLS 陶瓷样品密度和强度最好。对SLS试样进行合理的中温碳化和高温渗硅,所得碳化硅陶瓷烧结体的抗弯强度最高可达 81 MPa,相对密度大于86%。     

Process optimization for PA12/MWCNT nanocomposite manufacturing by selective laser sintering

Nanocomposites produced through the addition of carbon nanotubes to a polymeric matrix can improve the material properties. The mobility of the polymer chains is usually affected, and this is also related to the properties. Parts produced with the free-form fabrication process using the selective laser sintering (SLS) technique can be used in different high-performance applications as they do not require expensive tools for their manufacture. A specific field of interest is the aerospace industry which is characterized by a low production volume and the need for materials with a high performance to weight ratio. In this study, the free-form fabrication by SLS of parts made from nanocomposites comprised of polyamide 12 and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated. Specimens were manufactured by SLS to identify the appropriate processing parameters to achieve high mechanical properties for aerospace applications. Laser energy density was adjusted to improve the material density, flexural modulus, and stress at 10 % elongation. Design of experiments was used to identify and quantify the effects of various factors on the mechanical properties. The results obtained showed that there was a limit to the amount of MWCNTs which could be mixed with the polyamide powder to improve the mechanical properties since a higher content affected the laser sintering process.     

Manufacturing AISI304 metal parts by indirect selective laser sintering combined with isostatic pressing

In order to improve the lower relative densities and mechanical performance of metal parts manufactured by indirect selective laser sintering (SLS), cold isostatic pressing (CIP) technology is introduced into SLS combined with hot isostatic pressing (HIP). In the process of SLS/CIP/HIP, the degreasing of SLS green parts was carried out according to the thermal gravity curve of the binder. Then, airproof canning made of RTV-2, CH₃COOCH₂CH₃, Si(OEt)₄, and Bu₂Sn(OCOC₁₁H₂₃)₂ prepared for CIP was manufactured. Finally, the densifications and mechanical performance of the metal parts were analyzed. The results show that the degreasing process is rational, airproof canning made of RTV-2, CH₃COOCH₂CH₃, Si(OEt)₄, and Bu₂Sn(OCOC₁₁H₂₃)₂ is suitable for CIP, and the relative densities of AISI304 metal parts manufactured by SLS/CIP/HIP reach 98%, with their tensile strengths, yield strengths, Young’s modulus, and elongation percentages being 577.5 MPa, 306 MPa, 93.15 GPa, and 32.05%, respectively. Consequently, dense metal parts with better mechanical performance can be manufactured by SLS/CIP/HIP, and the process has a vital contribution to the development of SLS.     

Dual Material Rapid Prototyping Techniques for the Development of Biomedical Devices. Part 1: Space Creation

Polymeric drug delivery devices play an important role in drug administration. However, the current polymeric drug delivery device fabrication methods lack precision. This impairs the quality of the devices, resulting in a decrease in the efficiency and effectiveness of drug delivery. The concept of building parts layer by layer out of powdered raw materials makes selective laser sintering (SLS) a suitable process for fabricating polymeric matrix drug delivery devices. The current SLS process is not capable of processing two or more materials separately. This work explores the possibilities of SLS per-forming a dual material operation by developing two process models. These two processes can then be integrated to form a dual or expanded multimaterial fabrication technique and act as a foundation for future work in multimaterial applications such as polymeric drug delivery device fabrication. Accord-ingly, two papers are presented. In this paper, Part 1, the focus is on the first process, which is a "space" creation technique in which a "space" is created by varying the density of a first representative material using heat during sintering. Three methods – one based on a vacuum and a place method, and the other two based on two variations of a laser compacting method – were tested. Results have shown that by varying the laser power during sintering, it is possible to create channels in which a second material can be deposited.     

Development and application of new composite materials as EDM electrodes manufactured via selective laser sintering

The cost of a part manufactured by electrical dischargeEDM machining (EDM) is mainly determined by electrode cost. The production of electrodes by conventional machining processes is complex, time consuming, and can account for over 50 % of the total EDM process costs. The emerging additive manufacturing (AM) technologies provide the possibility of direct fabrication of EDM electrodes. Selective laser sintering (SLS) is an alternative AM technique because it has the possibility to directly produce functional components, reducing the tool-room lead time and total EDM costs. The main difficulty of manufacturing an EDM electrode using SLS is the selection of an appropriate material, once both processes require different material properties. The current work focused on the investigation of appropriate materials that fulfill EDM and SLS process demands. Three new metal-matrix materials composed of Mo–CuNi, TiB₂–CuNi, and ZrB₂–CuNi were developed and characterized. Electrodes under adequate SLS conditions were manufactured through a systematic methodology. EDM experiments using different discharge energies were carried out, and the performance evaluated in terms of material removal rate and volumetric relative wear. The results showed that the powder systems composed of Mo–CuNi, TiB₂–CuNi, and ZrB₂–CuNi revealed to be successfully processed by SLS, and the EDM experiments demonstrated that the new composite electrodes are promising materials. The work also suggests important topics for future research work on this field.     

Functional graded scaffold of HDPE/HA prepared by selective laser sintering: microstructure and mechanical properties

This paper presents a study on the effect of hydroxyapatite (HA) content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/HA composites and the fabrication of functional graded scaffold of HDPE/HA by selective laser sintering (SLS). The microstructure of the sintered composite scaffolds had interconnected pores with diameters of 30–180 μm and porosity of 45–48 %. The HDPE/HA composite scaffolds had a flexural modulus of 36–161 MPa and ultimate strength of 4.5–33 MPa. The maximum loss modulus peak tended toward lower temperature values for HDPE/HA composites with 10 and 20 % of HA content, indicating that the α_χ relaxation was slightly affected by higher quantities of HA. The HA particles reinforced the matrix and minimized the plastic and definitive deformation under the test conditions. HDPE/HA functional graded scaffold fabricated using SLS with controlled microstructure and properties showed considerable potential for biomedical applications, being suitable for bone and cartilage tissue engineering.     

Experimental study of microstructure,mechanical and tribological properties of cBN particulates SS316 alloy based MMCs fabricated by DMLS technique

Direct metal laser sintering process (DMLS) was chosen to develop cBN particulates reinforced SS316 based Metal matrix composite (MMC) with 5 %, 7.5 % and 10 % cBN in the nitrogen gas atmosphere using continuous wave fibre laser of 400 W output capacity. Effects of process parameters such as laser power, beam scanning speed and the mixing ratio of powder on different physical properties of the developed MMC were investigated. It was found that the physical and mechanical properties such as friction and wear behavior, micro hardness and density come up with improved results. FESEM images indicate the microstructure of the composite and evidently confirms the presence of cubic boron nitride in the SS316 matrix where chromium nitride acted as a binder in the presence of nitrogen atmosphere. The Vickers hardness values of the developed MMCs with laser power 60 W and 65 W were found in the range of 276-478 HV_0.2 and 297-460 HV_0.2, respectively. It was found that Vickers hardness is directly proportional to the % of cBN in the powder mixture and the laser beam power. The wear resistance of the sintered MMCs increased with increasing cBN content in powder mixture and results show that wear of MMCs are much lower than that of SS316. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the fabricated MMC confirms the presence of different phases such as cBN, CrN, CrB₂, Cr₂N and Fe₃N as a consequence of a series of chemical reaction between cBN and different elements of SS316 in nitrogen atmosphere.     

基于SLS／SRW工艺的快速成形机研制

在传统的激光快速成形工艺的基础上,提出了利用选择性电阻焊（SRW）结合选择性激光烧结（sLS）进行快速成形的新方法并基于SIS及SRW技术研制了金属粉末快速成形样机。详细阐述了J10-SLS／SRW-Y180／DR5-B2525型快速成形机的机械结构和电气控制系统;讨论了该机的成形工艺以及目前所面临的问题及其解决方法。     

Heat dissipation in high-power semiconductor lasers with heat pipe cooling system

This study focuses on the application of heat pipes in thermal management for high-power semiconductor lasers. The heat pipe cooling systems are used for heat dissipation in high-power semiconductor lasers. These systems are used instead of water cooling machines to realize a compact and lightweight laser module. The n-shaped heat pipe cooling system, which consists of eight 6 mm copper heat pipes with sintered powder wicks, can easily handle a heat load of up to 73 W from a single-laser unit. The fabricated U-shaped heat pipe cooling system, which consists of ten 12 mm copper heat pipes with sintered powder wicks, can easily handle a heat load of up to 300 W from five laser units. The optical power of the multi-laser module cooled by the U-shaped heat pipe cooling system reaches 210 W. These results indicate that high-power semiconductor lasers can be cooled using heat pipe cooling systems instead of water cooling machines.     

Selective laser sintering of hydroxyapatite reinforced polyethylene composites for bioactive implants and tissue scaffold development

Selective laser sintering (SLS) has been investigated for the production of bioactive implants and tissue scaffolds using composites of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced with hydroxyapatite (HA) with the aim of achieving the rapid manufacturing of customized implants. Single-layer and multilayer block specimens made of HA-HDPE composites with 30 and 40 vol % HA were sintered successfully using a CO2 laser sintering system. Laser power and scanning speed had a significant effect on the sintering behaviour. The degree of particle fusion and porosity were influenced by the laser processing parameters, hence control can be attained by varying these parameters. Moreover, the SLS processing allowed exposure of HA particles on the surface of the composites and thereby should provide bioactive products. Pores existed in the SLS-fabricated composite parts and at certain processing parameters a significant fraction of the pores were within the optimal sizes for tissue regeneration. The results indicate that the SLS technique has the potential not only to fabricate HA-HDPE composite products but also to produce appropriate features for their application as bioactive implants and tissue scaffolds.     

Performance of sinking EDM electrodes made by selective laser sintering technique

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a nonconventional machining process widely applied for the manufacture of intricate shapes in hard materials which are not easily machined by conventional machining processes. The production of geometrically complex EDM electrodes is difficult, time consuming, and it can account for about 50 % of the total process costs. Selective laser sintering (SLS) can be an alternative technique to produce EDM electrodes in a faster way. This work conducted an experimental study on the performance of EDM electrodes made by SLS using pure copper, bronze–nickel alloy, copper/bronze–nickel alloy, and steel alloy powders. Important EDM performance measures such as material removal rate and volumetric relative wear were investigated and discussed for finishing, semifinish, and roughing regimes. This work contributes with an insight into the production of EDM electrodes via selective laser sintering, as an alternative technique to conventional machining processes, as well as to evaluate the performance of the electrodes, and also provide directions for future research on this field.     

氧化锆零件激光选区烧结/冷等静压复合成形技术

氧化锆陶瓷材料以其优异的性能在工业生产中具有极大的应用前景,但由于脆性大、硬度高等原因,复杂形状氧化锆零件往往难以成形和加工。为了获得复杂形状氧化锆陶瓷零件,通过溶剂沉淀法将粘接剂尼龙12覆膜至纳米氧化锆粉末的表面,然后对覆膜后的粉体进行激光选区烧结(Selective laser sintering, SLS)成形,并通过传统的冷等静压(Cold isostatic pressing, CIP)技术对SLS零件进行致密化处理,同时满足氧化锆初坯成形时形状复杂度和密度的要求。通过试验得出在激光能量密度为0.415 J/mm2时,获得的SLS陶瓷件密度较大,对不同激光能量密度制备的SLS陶瓷件进行保压压力为200 MPa的冷等静压致密化处理,根据热脱脂机理以及粘接剂的TG曲线,分别制定了SLS/CIP试样的热脱脂工艺,最后对脱脂试样进行高温烧结,在后续处理的各环节,氧化锆零件的密度仍受SLS成形的影响,但该影响逐渐减弱,SLS/CIP/FS成形件最大相对密度和维氏硬度分别达到了97%和1180 HV1,已接近“模压-烧结”的致密氧化锆陶瓷的性能,在试样断口的扫描电子显微镜(SEM)分析基础上,对氧化锆复合成形的微观演变进行了研究。虽然最终烧结件密度和硬度仍有待提高,但是提出了一种极具潜力的氧化锆零件近净成形工艺方法,为制造高性能复杂形状的陶瓷零件奠定了基础。     

Two-dimensional modeling of sintering of a powder layer on top of nonporous substrate

Selective laser sintering (SLS) of a two-component metal powder layer on the top of multiple sintered layers by a moving Gaussian laser beam is modeled. The loose metal powder layer is composed of a powder mixture with significantly different melting points. The physical model that accounts the shrinkage induced by melting is described by using a temperature-transforming model. The effects of the porosity and the thickness of the atop loose powder layer with different numbers of the existing sintered metal powder layers below on the sintering process are numerically investigated. The present work will provide a better understanding to simulate much more complicated three-dimensional SLS process.